9/11 - 12 years later

Sometimes, it's difficult to grasp just how much our world changed 12 years ago today, when terrorists turned planes into guided missiles and killed about 3,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C., and in rural Pennsylvania.

Ever since that day, the nation has been more than a little on edge - and for good reason. More attacks have been thwarted, often by excellent police and intelligence work and sometimes, frankly, by a little luck.

In the years since the attacks, we've had healthy debates about what our nation's response should be, particularly involving military action. We've had robust discussions about preemptive actions and even the intelligence-gathering techniques that have ranged from water-boarding captives to keeping track of the way Americans use electronic communications.

And since the 9/11 attacks, our nation has moved from being unified against a threat to being divided along political lines, sometimes just for the benefit of not allowing people on the other side of the aisle a chance to claim any kind of victory.

We may not agree on a lot of issues in the United States. That's particularly true on the impending votes in Congress and the president's ultimate decision on whether to engage Syria in combat in the very part of the world where terrorists rose up against us in the first place.

But we can agree on the honor that should be paid to the people who perished from Earth this day 12 years ago, when a bright, peaceful Tuesday morning turned into a violent, hectic scramble to find survivors among the rubble of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

If we cannot agree on the politics of the nation, we at least can find consensus on showing support for the people who died simply because they happened to be in buildings that signified our country's economic and military might.

The devastating images of that day remain fresh in many Americans' minds - from the dust cloud that rose over Manhattan as the towers fell to the sights of loved ones crying for help when finding loved ones buried under the debris.

Some people might want to forget those terrible visions, but it's important that we remember the emotions of that day. By doing so, we remember the day that our world changed forever and the day that the United States woke up from a false sense of peace that it had enjoyed largely since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Cold War.

By remembering those sights, we recall that many innocent people of all nationalities, races and religions died that day. We remember the sacrifice made by firefighters, police officers and other emergency responders who were trapped inside the buildings as they collapsed.

Regardless of political stance, all Americans should be able to agree that the troops should have our collective support. We also should be able to agree that we faced a devastating blow on this day in 2001. By remembering the events of that day, we honor the people who lost their lives on 9/11.

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9/11 - 12 years later

Sometimes, it's difficult to grasp just how much our world changed 12 years ago today, when terrorists turned planes into guided missiles and killed about 3,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C.,